A Melody of Life
by A L P H A - H U N T R E S S
Summary: Alternate Ending. Wanderer was never re-placed into another vessel nor was her death wish respected. She was released into the hands of her own, once more taken into the sanctuary of the distant stars but he was never able to forget her…
1. Duly Deserved Duress

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own the Host or any of the related characters used in Chapter 1. That copyright belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

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_**1 – Duly Deserved Duress**_

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He hadn't wanted to do this, not from the beginning. Every time he had placed the scalpel against the base of the cerebral cortex at the top of the spinal column it had cut him into pieces, cut him as if he'd laid the scalpel against his own flesh, his own heart. His objective had always been clear to him as he cleaved apart the skin but it never removed the fear of what he'd find and what would continue to elude him. He was doctor and also a murderer. He'd take that knowledge with him the rest of the life, until his own grave. His attempts had always met failure and murdering strangers – both human and Souls, had torn him.

He gazed at the tanned skin beneath him, his eyes empty in their reflections. Already his willing patient had administered her own kind's anesthetic and he, he had put her under through use of crudely effective human agent - chloroform. The fact he knew the Soul at his mercy didn't make it any easier to do what he had to, only harder. He knew her gentle selflessness was what had allowed her to so calmly bare her neck to him. He was her executioner and his scalpel the axe. He was killing a being who deserved life even more than he did but here he was, prepared to kill her. Knowing who she was and receiving her blessing made him agonize ever more over his reluctant word. Her tribunal, one that he had attended this very morning, had been a farce. Wanderer had decided her fate and had not been deterred in the slightest. Her life would be extinguished before the others knew what had happened and her death, even willing, would forevermore lie upon his consciousness.

Before he could lose his nerve or allow the No Pain or chloroform to wear off he placed his scalpel resolutely at the base of her neck, slicing it open. Eagerly he placed down the silver instrument of his profession, his work grateful that the rest of the operation would be done with his own hands. Gently he stroked her attachments, slackening them from the muscles into willing retreat. It never failed to surprise him how they penetrated the human anatomy starting in the motor control centers of the brain and spinal column and burying themselves deep into muscles and veins.

The gentle species were practically symbiotic in the fact they did no physical harm to their hosts. Unfortunately their harm was through the subtle subjugation of their host's internal personality, their psyches, the conscious mind. So in the end they could be likened easily as parasites for that irreparable damage. Some hosts never recovered their sense of self if they were possessed long enough. He was careful in the procedure knowing only all too well that Souls…they were fragile in their natural state, very flexible but fragile altogether. Ever since he'd learned how to do the procedure he had never thought to stray from it, memorizing it, engraving it in his mind. The procedure spared not only the Soul but the Host as well. It wasn't easy to remove this one knowing that he'd have to leave her to die while her Host recovered.

Only the fact that she had, before slipping away, reminded him of his word had kept him from gazing or using the spare cryo-tanks against the wall. His fingers felts the taut antennae beneath the skin flex, relaxing and shrinking until finally he was able to place his hand into the skin pulling the remarkable silvery Soul into his hand. He blinked back tears as his hand sunk down, level with the operation table, feeling almost callously negligent in the way he was abandoning her to die. The Soul which had been so vibrant in his hands stilled slowly, relaxing as if she wanted to die in pride, in peace or perhaps she was already suffering. Once she had mentioned that infantile Souls would die within short moments if left without host, he tried to remove his mind from it. At that moment however he heard the smooth stroke of metal against metal, a thick and heavy blade resting against the hollow of his throat. The holder was practiced in its use for the metal was held there threateningly but it never sunk in or beneath the skin.

So intent had he'd been in his task that he didn't notice two others hastily filed into his cramped hospital space. Jared, the one who held the blade trained upon him and Ian, a betrayed and furious look in his weary eyes, holding a cryo-tank at the ready. Ian's hands reverently scooped the Soul with a look that couldn't be mistaken for anything less than outright love mingled with a kind of horrified sorrow. Suddenly a third joined the throng, the former Host – Melanie. He had agonized long enough the chloroform was finished. Her hand was wound in his clothes holding him, her eyes trying to focus and find Wanderer. Her hand relaxed when she saw Ian, the living Soul, and the active cryo-tank.

He however couldn't forgive himself and broke into tears, willingly giving his life up to the furious men in exchange for the death he would have delivered to Wanderer. For what he'd ALMOST done he deserved much worse…

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_**A/N:** I wrote this chapter particularly because I wanted to know what happened between 'Finished' and 'Remembered' especially from a point of view besides Wanderer's. I chose Doc/Eustace for obvious reasons. I always liked him as a character even if he was delicate. A short start but a start nevertheless. Hope you enjoyed it, read and review please! Chapter 2 will be up soon!_

_The titular inspiration for the fic came from Final Fantasy IX's 'Melodies of Life' which reminded me INSTANTLY of Ian and Wanderer through the book. I love the couple, love that song. The two of them made me think they were a single strain in the symphony of human love hence 'A Melody of Life'._


	2. Tribunal

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own the Host or any of the character used in Chapter 2, those rights belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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_**A/N: **First of all I would love to thank everyone for their kind comments especially Cherry's enthusiasm. I do plan to make this story as lengthy as possible; right now I have up to ten chapters planned with room for input and growth. As for my tendency to use CAPS for emphasis it's an unfortunate habit that I have never been able to drop (it has even haunted me in my school papers). I use CAPS for emphasis and usually reserve italics for internal conversations (like conversations within the characters mind). I will try to keep your input in mind but habits are hard to break especially when I write without thinking of how I style the appearance of my words. I agonize over content, or how the words sound together, more than anything else. Fortunately I have NO (see, there I go again) intention of dropping this fan fiction but unfortunately I have a great deal of studies which get to be a heavy load from time to time, always nipping at my heels along with work so I will try very hard to be consistent with my progress. Glad you two have enjoyed it thus far!_

_This chapter is done from Sunny's point of view. I know it seems skewed or strange if she stays and Wanderer goes but I didn't have the heart to making her actually part with Kyle and vice versa as they seem like a cute potential couple for future stories. I wanted to give Sunny a moment in the spotlight so I wanted to write the Tribunal from her point of view, to get the view of what it is like for an "outsider" looking in on the proceedings of a Tribunal._

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_**2 – Tribunal**_

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_Nothingness…yet familiarity. _

She had not experienced many lives or not as many as her newest Soul acquaintance, Wanderer, had. She wondered…is this was it was supposed to feel like? It certainly seemed strange, most insertions provided memories at the forefront but nothing was here to greet her, nothing was present to rear its ugly head in unpleasantness.

Nothing was here except her, she was relatively sure of that. It was alarming for she was sure of so little at times. The twin slits of her eyes fluttered open and she gazed around, none were present but she recognized the room this was where she had been removed from her last host. Her pupils, laced in silver, crawled slowly over to a mirror, muscles tensing as she pushed herself up. Shock swam over her facial visage; she had been re-inserted in her previous host. She looked around for anyone but she knew her eyes were looking for one person – Kyle.

Had he decided to keep her? She tried not to get her hopes up but in this body with him was, without a doubt, better than any other option or host available in the entire universe. At any rate she was back and she hoped to stay even if a majority of the humans weren't all that…pleasant to her. Kyle was the only one that mattered and he was kind to her, in his own unique way.

Footsteps broke the silence from the hallway and though she was expecting someone to appear a sharp intake of breath broke the silence. She hadn't been sure if it had been her breath, his, or both of theirs. It was as if her wish to see him had materialized him right before her eyes.

"I've, you should come with me, the Tribunal is happening soon."

"Tribunal?" she repeated softly, eloquence wasn't a strong point for him in the time she'd known him so he said everything straight and to the point but sometimes she didn't understand him and his way out here amongst his own humans so she had to ask for confirmation.

"My brother, he ah didn't take so well to Wanda being taken out of…"

"And the tribunal?" the word flowed well, she had said it correctly.

"Will decide what happens to her," he stated in a flat but cautious tone. He was detached, this event was not a personal one but she sensed that he wanted to be there, that is why he mentioned it.

Hope blossomed in her, if she had been re-inserted than maybe Wanderer would be too, "Will she be reinserted?"

"No," his voice was soft but strong, "No, she will not. That wasn't her body and Melanie is back. It isn't like you and Jodi. Melanie is back and Wanda cannot take over her while she is there besides Wanda, she wanted to give Melanie back her body so it's not fair to deprive either of them what they want. Wanda's fate will be decided but not that way. Things won't happen like they did with you."

"Melanie…," she rolled the Host's name over her lips and was suddenly afraid, hosts were violent and this one might be after, at long last, gaining her body back. Her fear did not go…unnoticed.

Instantly, reassuringly he curled his arms about her, "She will not hurt you, none of them will," he said low.

"Why can't she come back?" suddenly she thought, it was painful but she had to ask, "Why, why was I put back?"

Pain flashed across those blue eyes momentarily, moments later his tone echoed hollowly, "Jodi didn't come back, yet," he then looked uncomfortable, "but I need you to do something, I need you to look for her so she can be brought back like Melanie was."

She should have known, he still wanted her host not her. It was painful but not as agonizing as the look in his eyes as he surveyed her, begging her to acquiesce. Her voice, when it answered, was so soft and her tones so shattered that she herself almost didn't hear her own reply, "I'll try…"

The room was crowded with people and not all of them held a friendly gaze as she sought refuge from their glares behind Kyle's bulk. It was easy to find the contingent that was friendly from those who weren't. For one they just looked more pleasant and weren't glaring. Secondly they were surrounded sympathetically around a man who looked a lot like Kyle. This was his brother Ian who, from what she had managed to gather very quickly, had fallen in love with the Soul, Wanderer, within her human Host known as 'Melanie'.

That was a doomed romance from the beginning since even though Souls were weak and fragile of body they were a long-lived race. Wanderer would outlive him by lifetimes unless she was killed or took the call to Motherhood. For how many memories, how many lifetimes she had lived she would be a great mother, perhaps the best there ever was but right now she was alive and dormant within a cryotank cradled in Ian's arms. No one tried to touch it and frankly, by unspoken word, it wasn't allowed. From around Kyle's bulk Ian's eyes managed to find and catch her own and the look on his face was almost hostile. She shivered, the message in those eyes were too clear to be misunderstood. He resented her continued existence when it was denied to Wanda, to their Wanderer, to the woman he loved.

She had to agree, it wasn't fair in the least but she couldn't do anything about it. She was here to observe, she wouldn't say a single thing. It was well-known fact that she was thoroughly unwanted by a majority of those here and she didn't intend to exuberate their problem with her presence by drawing attention to herself. The atmosphere seemed heated enough between those who loved and loathed Wanderer, though obviously invisible the air crackled with tension. A human's capacity for hatred of her kind constantly frightened her almost out of her wits. She sat down and quietly sat in Kyle's shadow until she heard a voice.

"Settle down, settle down. This here is going to be a civilized affair or you'll get out," he warned everyone with a steely gaze, "Now, Ian."

"Wanda is gone and she should be back, with us."

There was a murmur of agreement washing over the audience of supporters when suddenly a voice whiplashed over the room, "Why? If it wanted to die so badly who are we to refuse?"

The next voice was one she knew, Wanderer's, but it wasn't Wanderer who stood to face the woman, "because she lied and denied choices to those who truly cared about her, both were wrong when committed against those individuals. You don't count yourself amongst that number Sharon so why should you hold any voice about her fate. I am glad to be back," she paused, "but I didn't wish for her destruction. If anyone had a right to wish for that it would be me who dealt firsthand with her but I don't want her destruction. We both matured in each other's company but frankly I can't condone her sacrifice for me. Her death is unacceptable, we can't kill her, I won't allow it but she couldn't stand to become a parasite to another being in another life."

"It's Ian's choice," a male voice murmured to the right of Melanie, "when Wanderer came in Mel's body I was the one who decided. That body, that Soul belongs to Ian so the decision should lie with him."

"And Melanie," the old man was called Jeb, she remembered that now, "like your dilemma, Jared, Wanda's body belongs to Melanie just as you shared Melanie's with Jamie. The decision belongs to those two and them alone."

The room got quiet, everyone seemed to realize that even if they said something it wouldn't hold any significance in the decision. Only words from Ian and Melanie would hold weight to end the Tribunal.

"I want her back," Ian stated bluntly.

"Melanie?"

The girl frowned, she better than any understood the trial and tribulations of the Soul, "I can't make her do it again."

"We can't kill her!" Ian snarled to the girl who shared deciding the fate of female he so intensely, so painfully loved.

"No, not kill her," the former Host assured the Soul's lover?

"If she lives, she will continue to live within another being, it won't change and she'll still be a parasite," Jeb stated in blunt fact, he was the informant – the devil's advocate.

"Send her somewhere else," the voice seemed to come from over such distance that she didn't realize at first that she had spoken from around Kyle's protective bulk. Unfortunately it didn't muffle her voice and soon all turned to look from its direction, to look at her.

She faltered under the pressure but Kyle protectively enclosed his arms about her, glaring down any who surveyed her with distaste, "Go ahead, Sunny."

She swallowed, "We aren't always so pronounced upon all our hosts…sometimes their psyches aren't so, so strong as your kind's so we aren't considered as invasive or intrusive. She could live somewhere else with others, others who can help her. It is harder alone, she'll be a lot better with others, others like us," and when she said 'us' she meant herself and Wanderer – the Souls.

Ian didn't like that but between Kyle and Jeb he was called to order. Many welcomed the prospect of getting rid of Wanda especially her enemies. Frankly she, Sunny, was afraid, terrified even. What if they decided to decide her own fate? To rip her out of this body, away from Kyle, and get rid of all the Souls around them in one fell swoop? It was a long argument but finally a decision was reached and the tribunal concluded. The Wanderer would live on and be released, released to wander once again…


End file.
